Animal-trap.



J. 0. LARSEN.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLIGATION FILED MAY 6,1912.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

FIG. 2.

WITNESSES.

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ANIMAL-EBA I Specification of Letters Intent.

' Patented Apr. 15,1913.

Application filed Kay 8, 1912.. SerIaI Ra-GBLBBZ.

To all whomc'tmay concern:

Be it known that. I, JOHN G. LARSEN, a

citizen of the United States, residin "at" Velva, in the county ofMcHenry and tate of North Dakota, have invented a new and usefulAnimal-Trap, of which the following is a specification. a

My invention relates to im rovements in self-setting animal traps, anthe object is to provide a simple but eflicient trap for catchinggophers, moles and other rodents which have afondness for travelingthrough ducts and tunnels whether dug by themselves or by other animalsor produced by human eflorts.

In the accompanyin drawing,Figure 1.

is a front elevation o my complete animal trap shown as standing uponthe ground and having a piece broken away in its front wall so as toexpose a gate in the interior of the trap. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionon the line H of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the tube or tunnel 14removed from the catching compartment of the trap.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, a receptacle having abottom 1 and a cover 2 is divided by a partition 3 into a catchingcompartment 4 and a storin compartment 5, of which the latter is preerably higher and much larger than the former. The cover or lid 2 maypreferably be hinged at.6 and provided with a spring catch 7 taking overa lug 8 on the compartment 5.

In the lower part of the partition '3 is an opening 9 with a duct 10extending therefrom into the compartment 5, and in the sides of saidduct is ivotally mounted at 11 a gate 12, which l iy its-own weight isnormally kept closed, as shown. The catching compartment 4 has its topopen and provided with notches 13. Resting upon said compartment is anarched or doubleinclined tube 14, constituting a tunnel or run-way forthe animals to try to run through. At the middle of the tube is a largedownward openin 15, having side flanges 16 guided mto t e top opemng ofthe catching compartment. In said flanges are journaled the pivots 17 oftwo tilting platforms 18, each of which is counterbalanced to levelposition by a" weight 19 resting upon a support 20. As it would bedifiicult to make the pivots or trunnions 17 short enough to clear thefront wall of the catching chamber, the latter is provided trunnions. I

In operation, the trap being set in places frequented by the animals,the animals are attracted by the open ends'of the tunnel 14 1 with thenotches 13 as clearings for the I as desirable hiding-places, and afterentering the tunnel the animal will soon attempt an exploration tripthrou h the tunnel, and reaching the tilting p atforms 18, is therepreci itated into the catching chamber 4,. after w ich the weights 19restore the platforms to normal position. The animal seeking to escapepasses through the opening 9, the only exit, and raismg the gate 12,asses into the compartment 5, after whic the gate 12 will fall to theclosed position shown in the drawing and the return I of the animal tocompartment 4 prevented.

In said manner a great number of animals, especially gophers, may becaught and stored into the compartment 5 and are then removed from therein any suitable manner with or without first drowning or otherwisekilling them. While the trap may thus be set and used as described uponthe. ground or upon a cellar floor or other surface, it is obvious thatin catching pocket gophers or other wary animals which keep 'mostly intheir underground run-ways, the trap may be slightl lowered into theground until the ends of t e tunnel. 14 get into line with the run-wa sin the ground. I may also make some 0 the traps with the tunnelsufliciently arched to let'its ends below the surface of the groundwhile the rest of the trap stands upon the surface. a

-What I claim is 1. A self setting and ever-set animal trap comprising areceptacle having a vertical partition dividing it into a small and alarge compartment, said partition having an an arched tunnel or tuberesting upon said compartment and having a downward opening withvertical flanges. guiding in the opening of the compartment, one or morecounterbalanced tilting platforms trunnioned in said flanges, and meansarranged to support the tilting platforms in horizontal position.-

2. A self setting and ever-set animal trap comprising a receptaclehaving a vertical partition dividing it into'a small and a largecompartment, said partition having an opening and a duct extendingtherefrom into the large compartment, a gate trunnioned in the sides ofthe duct and adapted to be closed by its own weight, said smallercompartment having an opening in its top, an arched tunnel or tuberesting upon said compartment and having a downward opening withvertical flanges guiding in the opening of the compartment, one or morecounterbalanced tilting platforms trunnioned in said flan es, and meansarranged to support the tilting platform in a horizontal position; saidsmall compartment being lower than the large compartment, whereby themiddle portion of the arched tunnel is given a lateral support againstthe side of the large compartment.

3. A self-setting and ever-set animal trap comprising a storingcompartment and a catching compartment separated by a vertical partitionhaving an opening, a selfclosing gate in said opening; the catchingcompartment having a large opening in its top and clearing notchesadjacent said opening; a tunnel resting upon said catching chamber andhaving one or both ends inclined downward for the animals to enter same,said tunnel having a lateral downward opening with flanges projectingdownward into the opening in the top of the catching compartment,tilting platforms mounted in said flanges by trunnions extendingtherethrough and into the adjacent clearings in the top edges of thecompartment, means for turning the platforms to horizontal position, andmeans for supporting them in the said position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two wltnesses.

JOHN C. LARSEN.

Witnesses RUFUS TREE, HENRY PETERSON.

